1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air spring suspension for a vehicle in which the air suspension has a remote air inlet and an inlet duct purge system.
2. Disclosure Information
Vehicular suspension systems in which an inflatable air spring is used to support a road wheel and tire assembly operatively connected with the chassis of the vehicle are known in the art. Such systems typically employ an electrically driven air compressor for the purpose of supplying air to the air spring assemblies. In order to achieve the pressures required for proper operation in air springs, the compressor assemblies are often of the piston type. It is well known that piston-type compressors cannot tolerate more than a minimal level of contamination from water, road splash, or other types of contamination. Accordingly, air spring suspension compressors are often mounted within the engine compartment of a motor vehicle so as to provide a favorable environment free from the previously mentioned contaminants. Although mounting of a compressor in such a location has generally provided acceptable suspension system architecture, on certain vehicles it is not possible, or desirable, to mount an air spring suspension compressor within the vehicle's engine compartment. In such cases, the air spring suspension compressor could be mounted under the floor of the vehicle. Mounting the air compressor under the floor of the vehicle could, however, create contamination problems, as previously described. The present invention solves this problem by providing an air inlet for the compressor which is located remotely from the compressor in a location wherein the inlet will not be subjected to environmental contamination. As part of the inlet system described herein, an induction valve is located between an inlet duct leading from the air inlet to the compressor inlet, which induction valve will allow contaminants entrained into the air inlet to be purged from a sump located within the induction valve to thereby resist ingestion of contaminants into the compressor.
The induction valve of the present invention comprises a pair of one-way valves. Other applications for one way valves are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,012, which discloses a flat leaf respiratory valve for use in medical studies, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,935, which discloses a hydraulic pressure relief valve and fluid isolator for use with a medical transducer in which a pressure relief port is covered with an O-ring having a circular cross section.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air spring suspension for a vehicle in which the air inlet for supplying air to the air compressor of the system is located remotely from the compressor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air spring suspension for a vehicle with a remotely located air inlet and air duct for supplying air to the air compressor of the air spring suspension system in which the inlet duct is connected to the compressor inlet by means of an induction valve such that the system will purge contaminants collecting in a sump within the induction valve when the air spring is exhausted.
In it an advantage of the present invention that the air compressor comprising a portion of a vehicular air suspension may be mounted under the floor of the vehicle in an otherwise hostile environment.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be discussed and disclosed in this specification.